Explained: Mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods have ended in Australia

Australians who test positive to COVID-19 are no longer required to isolate for five days.

Following a meeting of national cabinet on September 30, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said from today, all state and territory COVID-19 isolation mandates will end, as the government works to remove almost all pandemic-related restrictions.

Each state and territory has implemented the change to isolation rules through specific state-based legislation.

Here's what you need to know about the change to isolation rules.

When did Australia's mandatory COVID-19 isolation end?

October 14.

Every state and territory has now ended its public mandate for five days of isolation for people who test positive for COVID-19.

There are exceptions for people who work in high-risk settings such as health and aged care.

Those employees still need to isolate if they catch the virus.

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Does this mean people can go to work, school while positive with COVID-19?

The change to isolation settings means people are no longer mandated by law to stay at home for five days if they test positive for the virus.

Theoretically, it means people can now attend work and school while sick with COVID-19, unless they are in a high-risk setting such as health and aged care.

However, much like having the flu, it is still advised for workers not to attend work if they're sick.

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What about the Pandemic Leave Disaster Payment for people who test positive?

The Pandemic Leave Disaster Payments have also finished. They ended on October 14 along with mandatory isolation periods.

However, there is still some "targeted financial support" for casual workers, on the same basis as the previous payment, and for workers in aged care, disability care, Indigenous healthcare and hospital care sectors.

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Does this mean COVID-19 is becoming less infectious?

No.

Chief Medical Officer Professor Paul Kelly said COVID-19 is no less infectious.

Despite this, he said last month that it's time to end "COVID exceptionalism" – that is, treating COVID-19 as a viral respiratory disease that is somehow greater or more impactful than others, such as influenza.

"We will almost certainly see future peaks of the virus into the future, as we have seen earlier in this year," he said on September 30.

"However, at the moment, we have very low rates of both cases, hospitalisations, intensive care admissions, aged-care outbreaks and various other measures."

Could mandatory COVID-19 isolation periods return?

Yes.

The government left the door open to reinstating mandatory isolation periods if Australia sees an unprecedented number of hospitalisations.

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